Weber Genesis II LX E-440 Natural Gas Grill

Grilling is an art that can neither be mastered by reading the instruction manual nor something that can be learned through cookbooks. In fact, it is something much simple and you thought I was going to provide you with in-detail knowledge about how a grill should be operated! Today, technology has even made grilling easy. You no longer have to worry about buying A-grade quality coals and lighter fluid that will help with lighting them faster. Now, you have got electric ignition system, high quality cooking grates, superior heat retention casing, etc. You name it and that feature is available in one or the other grill. There are even small portable grills that you can easily carry with you to picnics or to a weekend stay at your family cabin by the lake.

Grills have never been my thing but hearing so much about Weber from my office colleagues and friends made me realize that I was missing out on something that was a convenient option of cooking. In western culture, we hear about BBQ weekends and the entire family sitting out in the backyard and enjoying a meal together. This is what helps us set tradition and remind our children that family values matter the most. It’s an “always and forever” kind of situation that every parent needs to teach their children.

Last week, I had the opportunity to inspect a Weber natural gas grill BBQ : the Weber Genesis II LX E-440 up close in one of our local stores. Just yesterday, they cleaned out the right side of the store and that side was then occupied by grills. Most of the grills were from Weber and majority of them belonged to the Genesis® series.

The reason you will find the Genesis® series in most of the local hardware stores is because it is one of the most affordable gas grills created by Weber. They have been made with the same precision as the other grills but due to their size and lack of elaborate features, they are more suited for anyone who is not on a tight budget. I had done my share of research and I was set to order this Weber natural gas grill BBQ from the internet but since I found it before time in the store, I decided to have a look at it.

What I saw cemented my decision and I bought the grill then and there. Since, this grill was new in the series, it was expensive than the previous versions. There were two reasons why I bought the grill so fast – One, I saved money on delivery and second, the features that I saw were more impressive up close.

Let’s start with a little history and the basics:

The Basics

I would easily say that Weber grills are considered the “Gold Standard”. Every few years, Weber comes up with some unique features and we are amazed at how they go above and beyond the customers’ expectations. The first Weber Genesis® grill was introduced in 1985 and it had the side burners. Over time, Weber expanded the series and added two more grills in 1987. Then, by the end of 2016, Weber had already decided that they were going to revamp the grills and introduce a new series with all its modern signature components. This is how Genesis® II and Genesis® II LX were introduced. The former is manufactured in China and the latter is manufactured in Palatine, Illinois.

One of the best things that attracted me towards this Weber natural gas grill BBQ is that it keeps up with customer demands. Today, most people like to dedicate a specific space for their grill ,one of the things that most grill lovers are now interested in is customized grill cabinetry and island. This feature was introduced in 2011 by Weber and since then, has taken roots in many homes.

The Genesis® II LX E-440 Weber natural gas grill BBQ has just the right amount of features to make the perfect medium sized family grill. Yes, one might say that it’s smaller than the other grills but its weight and features make up for it. Plus, it has plenty of space to cook everything.

Stainless steel flavorizer bars, stainless steel heat deflectors, four main stainless steel burners and one side burner, two side tables, grill cabinets and a warming rack.

There are no unique features in this grill, which makes it easy to operate. Weber offers a number of add-ons on its website, which you can use to make your grilling more satisfactory. The grill weighs 247 pounds, which means it’s been made from heavy duty material. One thing is that Weber never compromises on its grills’ manufacturing quality.

The latest Genesis® series has been named “The GS4 Grilling System”. The grilling system comprises of four components – High Performance Burners, The Infinity Ignition, Grease Management System and Flavorizer Bars. This system ensures that your grilling experience, from the moment you light the burners to the moment you clean the grill, everything is easy. The new Genesis® series comes from more than 30 years of experience and offers a reliable grilling platform.

Let’s move on to the basic features:

The Basic Features Of This Weber natural gas grill bbq

I have installed my Genesis® II LX E-440 Weber natural gas grill BBQ on a beautiful brown marble island with cabinets and a sink. This is the first time I have spent money on something so extravagant, so I wanted to do it right. Below are the grill’s basic features, which I will be explaining in detail.

Stainless Steel Cooking Grates

Stainless Steel Cooking Grates.

The stainless steel cooking grates have a diameter of 7 mm and makes up 646 square inches of the primary cooking area. It can hold up a count of 28 burgers and still leave enough room for you to fit in the vegetables. Weber places immense importance on its cooking grates because it is the main component that sets the standard for grilling. The best part about stainless steel cooking grates is that they hold heat really well.

I read dozens of reviews when I was researching on this grill and quite a few people had written that the grill takes time to reach a certain level of heat. I believe that Weber kept this in mind, which is why they introduced a new setting on the burner knob – A feature we will discuss later.

Stainless steel makes the cooking grates more resilient and durable. The material is able to withstand salt and rain, which offers a non-stick surface. You will always see that grills with stainless steel have a large surface, so that they can retain heat easily. Plus, it’s low maintenance and does not require much seasoning.

Speaking of seasoning all you require is vegetable oil or shortening to clean the cooking grates.

Another feature of stainless steel that I love is that it gives the food lovely sear marks. You go to a restaurant and order a steak. When the waiter serves it, you see these lovely vertical lines and wonder, how did they make those. Well . . . you can get them easily on this grill.

Tuck-Away Warming Rack

Tuck-Away Warming Rack.

The warming rack occupies an area of 198 square inches above the cooking grates. It is also made of stainless steel and offers space for warming buns and keeping everything hot until the guests arrive. If you feel that the warming rack is in your way, you can simply tuck it down and free up more space – A neat little feature that comes quite in handy when you are grilling for a party.

Porcelain Enameled Lid

Porcelain enameled material is one step above stainless steel. Since, the grates will be protected by the lid; Weber has made sure that the lid does a good job. Just like stainless steel, porcelain enameled lid also retains heat quite well.

Not in the mood to eat right now but you know that it will take long for the steak to grill? Just close the lid, turn the middle burner on low heat and sit back and relax. The heat will be

distributed evenly and each inch of the cooking grate will grill or toast according to the temperature set on the knob.

Stainless Steel Burners and Lighted Knobs

High Performance Burners.

Most of the parts of this Weber natural gas grill BBQ are made with stainless steel. The burners in this grill are a little different than the other Weber grills. The burner tubes have a tapered shape, which has small holes in it. There are four main burners that have a BTU of 52,000, which are controlled by lighted knobs. Each burner has a separate connection to a knob and the burners can be lighted individually from the ignition button. The ignition button has the flame thrower mechanism, which allows the burner tubes to provide steady and even heat. The tapered shape allows a consistent flow back to front.

The knobs have been embedded with small a red light.

The knobs have been embedded with small a red light, which makes operating them at night easier. Each knob has five settings – Slow, Medium, High, High+ and Ignite. This is the reason why they chose stainless steel grates for this grill. The High+ setting gives you the opportunity to grill anything and fast.

The individual burner connection allows you to cook different things on different settings. You can put the meat in the middle and turn the burner to High+, while the other burners can be turned to medium for grilling the vegetables or sautéing them in a frying pan.

Stainless Steel Heat Deflectors

The stainless steel heat deflectors are located right underneath the burner tubes. They have long cylindrical cut-outs in them that promote steady distribution of heat. It’s a small addition, one most people never really notice. During maintenance, this is one of the parts that must be cleaned thoroughly, so that the burners perform at their optimum.

Prep Tables and Side Burner

Side Tables with Integrated Tool Hooks.

Weber’s prep tables are legendary. This grill’s prep tables are not far behind. There are two stainless steel prep tables – One has hooks in the front and the side to hang utensils and the other has a sear burner.

This side table burner has a BTU of 12,000, which makes it perfect for cooking sauces. This station has a round common household burner. You can either use the right side for making sauces or close the lid and use it as a prep table.

Flavorizer Bars

The flavorizer bars can be found on all the latest Weber grills. These stainless steel flavorizer bars are what makes the grilled meat more delicious. Since, I have never used a grill before, I don’t know if there is much of a difference between grills that have these and ones that don’t. The flavorizer bars are located above the burners, which prevents flare-ups. The drippings from the food fall on the flavorizer bar, evaporate and circulate back to the food. This ensures that there is no loss of taste. The rest of the grease falls through the heat deflectors and into the catch pan.

I found the flavorizer bars a unique touch because I have never heard anything about such a component in a grill. I believe that this is one feature that makes this Weber natural gas grill BBQ worth buying.

Small Accessories

Three of the accessories that are embedded an come with this grill are the built-in lid thermometer, LED light in lid and a 10 ft natural gas hose. The thermometer gives accurate temperature of the overall grill, which can be abit confusing since all the burners have different settings. Nevertheless, it keeps you informed that your steak is not going to be cooked beyond the point where you can’t eat it.

The 10 ft hose gives you the flexibility of keeping the natural gas tank in the cabinet or beside the grill. The cabinet has painted steel doors and enough space that you can store your utensils and some lint-free cloths on the shelves, along with the natural gas tank.

There is an LED light in the lid’s handle that gives you freedom to cook at night. The light automatically turns off when the lid is closed.

Grease Management

The grease management system helps with the removal of grease while reducing the risk of ﬂare-ups.

Cleaning grease off the grill is pretty easy. The grease management system is located inside the cabinet, above the shelves. A disposable catch pan is placed inside the drip container, which is locked with a latch and secures the container. It’s better to keep a couple of catch pans in the cabinet, so that you can replace it easily. This catch pan helps you avoid cleaning up one more component after grilling. As for the grates and flavorizer bars, simply wash them with water and soap.

Weber’s Culinary Genius – iGrill 3

On the right side of the grill, beside the side burner knob, you will find a small square for the gas gauge. This is a new addition to Weber grills and takes the grilling experience to a whole new another level. The component that fits in this space can be bought from Weber’s website because it does not come with the grill. The digital thermometer comes with probes and is connected through Bluetooth to the iGrill app in your mobile. The thermometer tells you how much gas is left in the tank and measures the temperature of the food through the probe that keeps you informed if the food is cooked or not. However, the LED gauge must be removed first, so that the digital thermometer can be inserted.

The thermometer has a capacity for four probes but comes with two pro-meat probes. It has a proximity wake-up sensor and measures temperature from -22°F (-30°C) to 572°F (300°C). The reason why I am telling you about this feature is because I bought it and so far, it is working perfectly. I think I got the better end of grilling !

The new Genesis® series are not towing the line of affordability. They have more burners, high BTU and the addition of a digital thermometer. This has made them quite expensive but for the features it has it’s definitely worth every dime. Yes, this Weber natural gas grill BBQ took a nice chunk out of my salary but I’m glad I now own it !!

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